In the study, Lionel was seething with rage!He yanked off his tie, irritated by everything around him. With a sweep of his arms, he sent the documents on the table crashing to the floor with a loud bang.A fire burned in his chest, fierce and relentless, as if it might scorch a hole right through him. It hurt!Damn that woman!He had offered to let her return to the master bedroom, promised to make the other woman disappear immediately. He had lowered himself, yet she hadn't even blinked before refusing, insisting he bring that woman into the master bedroom instead!Fine!Let her be ruthless! She didn't care about the master bedroom, did she? She didn't mind him bringing any woman there, did she?Well then! He would show her!He didn't need her!As long as he wanted, thousands of women would flock to him!"Ah..." Lionel went berserk, smashing everything in the study to pieces. In an instant, it looked like a disaster zone.Finally exhausted from the destruction, he collapsed into his
Chloe pushed Lionel hard, shouting, "If you want to... head to your master bedroom! There's a woman waiting for you impatiently in there!""Do you really want me to go to her?" Lionel's voice was hoarse from the alcohol, and even in the darkness, his furrowed brow was evident.Swallowing his anger, he kept his gaze fixed on Chloe's face.Chloe scoffed coldly, "What a joke! What does it matter to me which woman you want to sleep with? Move aside!" She raised her hand and shoved his shoulder forcefully.Though it was hard to see clearly, Lionel could still imagine the coldness of her expression. Her heartless words stabbed at him like a dagger.Feeling a sharp pain in his chest, his voice turned icy. "Yes! It has nothing to do with you! But you are still my woman! Tonight, I'm going to sleep with you!"Without waiting for her response, he bent down and captured her lips."Ugh, get off... you beast! You scoundrel! Who do you think you are, a king?" Chloe protested, kicking and struggling
The sounds from the master bedroom echoed until dawn, gradually subsiding as Chloe sat on the sofa, staring blankly.She didn't want to hear the nauseating noises, yet she stubbornly forced herself to listen until morning.She needed this to stay awake, to remind herself not to indulge in fantasies and to remember that aside from her father, no other man would ever treat her well.Stretching her stiff legs, she made her way downstairs, where the servants were already busy cleaning.As she stepped outside into the front garden, they exchanged glances, unable to suppress their sighs and shakes of their heads.Her eyes were red like a rabbit's, her face pale, and the worry etched on her brow seemed to deepen.Clearly, last night, the master had spent the night with the woman he brought home; otherwise, she wouldn't be in such despair.Chloe approached the swing, sitting down and absentmindedly rocking back and forth. She closed her eyes, letting the cold autumn breeze wash over her, feel
Meanwhile, after Lionel left, Moira wasted no time in asserting herself! Acting as if she were the lady of the house, she ordered everyone around with an exaggerated sense of authority."You there, move those flowers! They're ugly!" "And you, clean this area again! Can't even wipe off the dust properly – what good are you?" "What are you staring at? Get to work!"With a series of sharp commands, the servants kept their expressions tight, rushing around to fulfill one demand after another, only for Moira to criticize something else the moment they were done. Thanks to her, the entire villa was in chaos. Yet no one dared to confront her, or even give her a look of disapproval; otherwise, they would undoubtedly pay the price.Quietly, the servants whispered to themselves, wondering if she was suffering from a hormonal imbalance or simply going through menopause.Could it be that the master didn't satisfy her last night? She's clearly venting her frustration on us!Of course, no one d
Grace rushed to the scene, her face pale with fear.None of them could swim. What were they supposed to do now?With trembling hands, Grace quickly pulled out her phone to call Lionel.In truth, she had already seen the two women fighting from inside the house through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. Since neither woman was someone she cared for, she had pretended not to notice.The fiercer their fight, the more satisfaction she felt! Grace had already planned it out: she would only intervene once they were both exhausted.If she couldn't stop them by then, it wouldn't be her fault, and she wouldn't face any blame when the master returned.But now, the situation had changed—they had both fallen into the water. Though she privately wished they'd drown to save her the trouble, Grace knew that if someone died, the master would not forgive her.In the pool, the two women were thrashing about. Moira spat out water and shouted, "Help!" while Chloe, though sinking and rising, only occasio
Lionel's gaze was murderous, his face dark as a storm cloud, while Moira's anguished screams echoed, a clear sign to everyone—they had made a grave mistake.Instantly, their legs weakened, nearly giving way beneath them."M-Master, I thought..." Grace stammered, trying to explain, but upon receiving Lionel's piercing glare, she quickly swallowed her words, raising a trembling hand to gesture towards Chloe's old room.Lionel turned and entered Chloe's room.She was soaking in the tub, her skin smooth as porcelain, her black hair floating gently on the water's surface. Just by her silhouette, he knew it was the woman he held in his arms every night.How could he have made such a mistake?This time, his steps slowed. Or rather, he hesitated, almost shrinking back. Deep down, he feared seeing that cold, indifferent expression on her face once again.A small part of him hoped she would, like Moira, throw herself into his arms, crying, telling him she was afraid, that she needed him, beggin
"Lion... Lion..." Moira's frantic voice echoed as she called out, "Where did he go?" She wrapped herself tightly in a bath towel, her temper flaring as she shouted at the nearby servants.Seeing their nervous expressions and the subtle glances toward Chloe's room, Moira wasn't a fool; she knew where to go. She stormed toward Chloe's door."No, Miss Moira, you can't go in!" Grace blocked the entrance.The door hadn't been closed, and the sounds from within were unmistakable. The two of them were entangled together!Grace couldn't let Moira disrupt them a second time, fearing Lionel's wrath would fall on them all.Blocked by a mere servant, Moira was livid. "Move! Who dares to block my way?" She clutched her towel with one hand, ready to kick Grace but held back, her face twisted with frustration.She could see exactly what was going on just by their expressions. Inside, Chloe and Lionel were tangled up in something intimate. A burning jealousy ignited in her eyes, and she seethed."Mis
Finally, dusk began to fall, and Chloe found herself glancing toward the doorway for what felt like the hundredth time. After everything that had happened that morning, she was desperate to leave.She and Lionel had agreed on a day to get her divorce papers, but she knew he could handle it much faster if he wanted to; with his connections, it could be done in mere minutes.As darkness settled, there was still no sign of his car pulling up. Chloe sighed quietly, determined that no matter what, she would get the papers tonight.Heading upstairs, she curled up on the sofa, intent on waiting.She wasn't sure how much time had passed when, in a half-dazed state, she heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway, followed shortly by footsteps ascending the stairs.As the tall figure appeared in the shadows, she immediately spoke, her tone cold and detached. "Where are my divorce papers?"Her voice was icy, emotionless, as though they had never shared any history.In the darkness, Lione
For the sake of her child, she didn't want to leave. But… she couldn't let her child be born a bastard, facing the criticism and judgment that came with such a status. She wouldn't let her child live with such a shameful identity. She had to take her child and leave his life behind.Lionel felt a sharp pain in his chest. This time, he had really hurt her."No! I won't agree to this!" He growled fiercely, his cold lips trembling slightly."Heh…" Chloe let out a bitter laugh. "Lionel, even now, you still say no? What right do you have to say that? Will your future wife allow my existence? Even if she does, I won't shamelessly cling to you here. I won't share a man with another woman. Let's part on good terms. You marry Joanna, and I'll find a man who wants only me and get married. Let's wish each other well!"On the surface, her smile was small, but inside, her heart felt like it had been pierced open, bleeding profusely.At this point, Lionel still wanted to command her so arrogantly?
The gaze of both men turned sharply toward Chloe, but they could only see the cold, distant silhouette of her back.Hearing Chloe's hoarse voice, both men seemed frozen, as if struck by lightning. They were momentarily immobilized, like they had been enchanted. By the time they snapped out of it, Chloe had already walked several meters away."Chloe…" Geoffrey quickly turned and chased after her.Lionel's face darkened, his long legs making it easy to overtake Geoffrey, whose injured leg slowed him down. In just a couple of steps, Lionel was already right behind Chloe.Without a word, Lionel reached out and pulled Chloe into his arms."Let go! Lionel, I've become a joke. Are you trying to make it impossible for me to live here anymore?" Chloe said coldly, her eyes never meeting Lionel's. She suppressed the pain in her heart and spoke with an icy detachment."Chloe, please don't be angry. It will hurt you. I can't bear to see you suffer like this. I want to live with you, I want to be w
Chloe instinctively pulled her hand away and reached out to Geoffrey. "Geoffrey, I want to marry you. Will you marry me?""Ah?" Geoffrey was taken aback, but as soon as he caught the murderous look in Lionel's eyes, he smirked. "I've been waiting for this." He grabbed Chloe's hand, pulling her close to him."Chloe..." Lionel's hand reached out to grab air, his heart aching with a sharp pain. "Come home with me. I'll explain everything."Chloe acted as if nothing was wrong, forcing a faint smile. "No need. There's nothing for you to explain. A woman like me doesn't deserve your respect."Turning her head, she looked away. Though her heart ached painfully, her blood rushed, and she longed to throw herself into his arms, to tell him everything—her fears, her sadness, and that they were having a child. But she couldn't. He was already engaged to another woman.Even though she was of low status, she would never share a man with another woman!She clenched her fist, forcing back the bittern
After receiving Lionel's call, Grace deliberately walked over to Chloe's room and listened carefully. There was no sound coming from inside.Hmph, she's really able to sleep through everything!Grace curled her lips into a mocking smile, feeling quite pleased with herself.She went downstairs to direct the servants on their tasks.By the time daylight broke and breakfast was ready, Chloe still hadn't come downstairs. Grace found herself looking back at the stairs over and over, but there was still no sign of her.Eventually, feeling something was off, Grace walked to Chloe's door, knocked, and called out, "Madam, breakfast is ready. If you don't come out soon, it will get cold."Still, silence.She raised her voice and called again, "Madam, Master will be home soon."No response. Could something have happened?Thinking this, Grace lost her composure. She nervously twisted the door handle, opening the door and quickly stepping inside. But the room was empty.Her heart sank.Grace's fac
"Geoffrey, take me to my mom's." Chloe finally looked at Geoffrey for the first time.Since getting into Geoffrey's car, she had been lost in her thoughts, completely unaware of Geoffrey's gaze as he scrutinized her."Did you two argue?" Geoffrey's voice was low and hoarse, filled with a deep, painful concern as he looked at Chloe.Seeing the redness around her eyes made his heart ache, as if thousands of needles were running through his veins, causing him sharp, excruciating pain."No." Chloe took a deep breath and answered calmly."Don't lie to me. Chloe, you don't lie." Geoffrey grabbed Chloe's hand and said, "I've told you before, Lionel isn't the best choice for you. His background is too complicated, he's really not right for you. Chloe, come with me. I promise I'll marry you immediately, and you won't suffer one bit."A passionate man, a passionate gaze, and passionate words, but Chloe's heart remained unmoved.After her heart was broken by the past, giving it to Lionel had bec
AstralisThe Williams estate remained brightly lit through the night.As the last guests departed, the household staff moved efficiently, tidying up the courtyard and clearing away the remnants of the celebration.Earl, filled with joy and having indulged in a few too many drinks, had retired early for the evening.Only his immediate family remained in the grand hall—his sons, daughters, and grandchildren all gathered together."Lion, congratulations on rekindling things with Joanna," Lewis, Lionel's cousin, remarked with a grin.Lionel shot him a frosty glare. "Thank you," he replied curtly, rising from his seat. He turned to address the elders. "I'm feeling a bit tired. If you'll excuse me, I'll head to my room now.""Go get some rest. It's been a long day for you!"His aunt Hannah forced a smile and waved dismissively, hiding her envy behind a facade of politeness. Beneath her outward cheer, her heart burned with jealousy. Earl was clearly playing favorites again. Even though Joann
Just as she sat up in bed, she heard footsteps outside the door. Her heart leaped with excitement. She jumped out of bed, rushed to the door, and flung it open, calling out, "Lion—" But the person standing before her was Grace."Madam, it's me. The Master won't be coming home tonight." Grace stepped inside, carefully balancing a tray of food, a bright smile plastered on her face as if something delightful had happened. "Before he left, he made it clear that I must take good care of you. I wouldn't dare neglect his orders. I saw you were asleep during dinner and didn't want to disturb you, but I figured you'd be awake by now, so I brought your meal upstairs.""Thank you," Chloe murmured, disappointment flashing across her face as she followed Grace back inside.She sat down to eat, but every bite felt like a lump in her throat. The food refused to go down smoothly. She glanced at her flat belly, clenched her teeth, and forced herself to eat a bit more before giving up entirely.When Gr
Joanna's face flushed with a hint of redness. She glanced at Lionel, who was not far away, her eyes flashing with a mischievous, almost mocking glint. She said, "Lion has always been great, and... I'm willing to marry him!""Good! Good!" The guests erupted in applause and cheers.The atmosphere in the room reached its peak, with everyone smiling and congratulating Earl and Samuel.Earl and Samuel, unable to hide their joy, raised their glasses to toast to their friends and relatives, their eyes moist with emotion.Both families were prominent in the business world, and this union was a powerful alliance. Everyone could foresee that the future of the business world would belong to them. Lionel, the head of K International Group, would see his value soar to an unprecedented level.He was like a god standing on a cloud, commanding the world. With a snap of his fingers, he could send financial storms across half the globe.Such a deity, who coul
"You, I...fine, it's my fault. I was wrong. Now that things have come to this point, we must take responsibility for what needs to be handled. An important guest is arriving today. Get yourselves ready and come out quickly. They might already be on their way."Knowing that if he softened his tone, the young man would only grow more defiant, Earl—proud as he had been all his life—was ultimately forced to bow his head before his grandson."Ha…" Lionel let out a cold laugh. "Responsibility? If anyone has to take responsibility, it's you. Every consequence of this mess stems from your decisions. What does any of it have to do with me?""You—you—what nonsense are you spouting?" Earl bristled, his anger making his mustache quiver. "Oh, I see. This must be because of that woman! But let me tell you, your wife can only be Joanna, no one else! If you take a step back and marry Joanna, everything will be negotiable. Love as many women as you